Screwball Rules of Engagement

[Bilge_Rat]

Originally Posted by ETR3(SS)

This brings up an interesting question, how was this same issue addressed during the 17th century heyday of piracy?

Pirates would steal/take their ships and upgrade if they found a better one. Edward "Blackbeard" Teach is one the best example of a classic pirate. He was always upgrading/expanding his fleet:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbeard

Any regular naval vessel who encountered a pirate ship could seize it as a "prize". In theory, it could then be returned to its rightful owner, although whoever had recovered it was entitled to a reward ("prize money"), which was based on the value of the vessel and cargo aboard.